Chapel teenager wins prestigious prize at Crufts

Louise Cooper

It proved to be a day to remember for a Chapel-en-le-Frith teenager after her three-year-old Cockerpoo Tottie put her best paw forward to claim a prestigious prize at Crufts 2017.

One of 22,000 dogs at Birmingham’s NEC for the world’s largest dog show, Tottie made sure to take a starring role alongside handler Penny Lowes, walking away with the Young Kennel Club’s over-12 jumping title.

The top three competitors.

Presented by the Kennel Club, this year's Crufts marked the 126th edition of the show, which attracts dogs and owners from all over the world as well as thousands of visitors over the course of the four days.

And after enjoying their own moment in the spotlight, Chapel High School pupil Penny could not be more delighted with Tottie’s performance in the West Midlands.

“I’m very happy. An awful lot of work has gone into it,” said the 15-year-old, who has been coming to Crufts since 2012.

“We’ve never really done very well here but today is a really good achievement for us.

“It’s quite nerve-racking in the ring but once you get going it’s ok.

“Tottie is amazing. She picks up everything really quickly and is an easy dog to train – so I can’t really fault her.